


I Don't Hate You?

by quietdetective



Category: Camp Camp (Roosterteeth), Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Autistic Max, Child Neglect, Fluff, Max was a happy child au, Not fucking maxvid, angst in later chapters, i hate even having to clarify that, mentions of child abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 23:11:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11724552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietdetective/pseuds/quietdetective
Summary: Originally was gonna be a proper story line of Max being a kid and growing up but now is a collection of stories of Max and David's relationship as councillor and camper, and as it delves into how they become close and like father and son. Please do request me for stories. I won't do any ships.





	1. How it Starts

**Author's Note:**

> Heyoooo.  
> Had this idea for a while and figured lets do this thing.

When David had first met Max he was quite surprised by the young boy. At only 5, he was tiny and excited about camp. That didn't really surprise him, what did surprise him though was Max's parents. Generally when kids were so small, honestly anyone under 7, they weren't even aloud to be at Camp Campbell. No one at the camp was really prepared for such a small one to be an overnighter and it was a large responsibility for the admittedly small and young staff, but his parents insisted upon it. Max looked like he was more than happy about it, holding his own little bag and pillow as he bounced and looked around. His parents looked serious, explaining that Max had some behavioural problems and sensory issues, but not to be troubled over it too much. David, only 19 at the time, accepted it. He didn't know that it was an unusual practice really, just assuming policy had changed since he was a camper. He didn't ever remember such a small child at camp when he went.

"Hey there Max! I'm David! Wanna come with me to where you'll be sleeping?" David asked. It was a while after, everything had just finished with Max's parents. There had been a lot of paperwork to be filled out as Max was brought about a week after camp started, with little notice before the boy arrived.

What troubled David was how little his parents seemed to care about what the 5 year old would be doing during his stay. They didn't even sign him up for a specific camp. Max smiled up at David. He didn't seem too hesitant to be left alone with a stranger, and said no goodbyes to his parents, and they didn't offer any either. David held his tongue, not wanting to start anything that could lose him his job.

"Yeah! Am I gonna be able to sleep in a tent? Will there be bears? Mama always says the woods are full of bears and that they'd probably eat me." Max rambled, pulling his suitcase along behind him as David lead Max away.

"Now Max, most campers do sleep in the tents but since, uh, you're a special case you'll be sleeping in the councillors' cabin! We can't let any bears get ya can we?" David playfully said, his hands coming up to form an imitation of claws to make the little boy laugh.

"Oh no! I really wanted to sleep in a tent!" The five year old pouted, his fluffy hair looking droopy with his words. It made David laugh a bit, as it seemed his hair matched his rapidly changing mood.

"Oh it's alright Max! We just wanna make sure all our campers are happy and safe!"

David clapped his hands together once they got to the cabin, opening the door and letting Max walk in first, the boy looking around in wonder about everything.

"You'll be sleeping on this bed right here Max!" David told the younger boy, patting the bed right across from Davids own bed. It was neatly made and had a thick comforter over the usual thin sheet. David figured he couldn't let Max potentially get cold, even though the cabins had better heating than the tents. "Normally my co-councillor sleeps there but with you here this summer he'll be taking care of the campers in the tents! His name is Jasper and he should be with the others while they all eat lunch. Have you eaten yet Max?"

David wasn't really sure how often a 5 year old was supposed to eat, so he was going off 3 meals a day, with snacks like the rest of the campers.

"Nani helped me make some food before mama and papa brought me here! It was a really long drive. But I'm not hungry!" Max added the last bit quickly, looking a tiny bit scared, as if he thought Davids reaction would be less than pleasant.

"Oh! If you're hungry we can go join the others, you need to be orientated and everything anyway! Let's go Maxie, feel free to ask for anything, I'd be happy to help!" Davids voice went softer at the last sentence, wanting the small boy to feel at ease here. He gave Max's head a pat before standing up straight and offering a hand.

Max smiled and took it gently, leaving his suitcase on the bed. He suddenly let go though when they were headed for the door, distracted by something on Davids side of the room. The boy wandered over to his bed, picking up a bear that was over half his size. What caught Davids notice though was how his eyes shined at the bear, which admittedly was a bit ratty looking. David had had it since he went to camp after all.

"Wow... Does he had have a name?" Max asked, transfixed by the bear. It seemed he didn't realize he was being a bit rude with it, but David didn't mind.

"Uh.." David had given it a name so long ago, but with moving and years the name was lost. "No actually. Do you wanna give him a name?" The older man asked kindly.

"Hmm... He looks like a Mr Honey Nuts! Cause he would like Honey Nut Cheerios cause he's a bear and bears like honey. And it's my favourite" Max told David confidently, hugging the bear and smiling.

The sight of Max standing there, holding such a large bear compared to himself and looking so happy, compelled David to his next action.

"Hey, since it looks like you don't have a companion here with you, do you wanna keep Mr Honey Nuts? I can't really give him as much love as I used to since I'm so busy with the camp stuff. But maybe you can" David said, and he swore that Max's smile was brighter than any star or satellite in the sky.

"I can keep it?! Thank you David!!!" Max hugged the bear close, clearly very happy with being gifted the bear.

"Yep! Mr Honeynuts is yours! Now. Wanna bring him to lunch or leave him here?" David asked, figuring it was best to let Max choose.

Max paused for a moment to think before looking up at David, albeit shyly "I'll bring him, Mr Honey Nuts will probably get lonely." Max picked up the bear and carried it with him, unable to hold David's hand now as he needed both to carry the ridiculously sized bear.

As soon as they stepped out of the cabin a loud shout of "INCOMING!" was heard, and a rock shot straight for Max. 


	2. Oh SHit Its A Cultist.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max snooped into things that needed to be snooped, but was caught and taken into the woods. Daniel want some his way, using Max's sacrifice to reach ascension. Too bad David showed up.

Max was sprawled on the ground, his eyes barely open as he tried to pick himself back up, his clothes torn and dirty. Daniel looked down on this boy, this 10 year old boy who was nothing but a nuisance, questioning things he shouldn't, disrespecting authority. Daniel really was doing the world a favour by sacrificing him for his God. He kneels down, not minding the blood and dirt getting on his clothes. 

"F-fuck off" Max tried, too weak to really protest as Daniel lifted his head up, pressing his knife against Max's throat. 

"Maybe if my lord is kind, you'll be freed" Daniel murmured, though he doubted that Max's soul was pure enough. The insidious child. 

"Get away from him" Daniel looked up in surprise, not expecting to see David standing there, dirty and bloody as well, but still very much alive, and very much holding a gun aimed at Daniel. 

"Or what? You'll shoot me? And risk hitting him?" Daniel asked, pulling Max into a sitting position using his hair, ignoring the grunts and curses the child said as he tried to push Daniel away. 

"Stop right now Daniel. We don't have to to this. You can go back where ever you came from, just don't hurt Max." David said, deathly calm somehow, barely shaking as he looked at the ten year old, the young child he's known for years and saw grow up from a happy little one to a disillusioned untrusting one. But David didn't care. He loved Max so much, Max might as well have been his own son with how much he cared for him over the years. And he will not let Daniel get away with this. 

Daniel looked at David closely, seeing the tears slowly falling down his face as a looked at the camper, the boy was so small when he couldn't talk, couldn't show his anger. When his fierce persona was stripped away and all that was left was a scared, traumatized ten year old. Max refused to look anywhere but David, even as tears slowly slipped out of his eyes and his trembling became worse. Daniel didn't understand the boy really, why he seemed to care so much for the older man, the one he proclaimed he hated and was the bane of his existence. 

"Well what about this then, David." Daniel threw Max back onto the ground, the boy groaning and trying so hard to get up, not giving up even for a second. The knife was quickly exchanged for a gun. "How about I shoot you? Surely that's much better. Max has parents doesn't he? He doesn't need a councillor he hates."   
Max tried to say something, what was lost on both adults, but David could see the panic. The worry and concern he refused to show unless he saw necessary. 

"Cmon Daniel. We don't have to do this. Please. He's right there" David flinched, if only slightly, when the gun was pointed at him. Better him than Max yes, but still not ideal. "I don't want my son to see." 

Daniel grinned, head slowly tilting to the side as his amusement grew. "But he's not your son, now is he David. He's your little lost puppy you just had to save, but continued to give back for fear of never seeing again. Always a fear, but you knew he'd return to a camp he called hell, if only to get away from the hell of home. Maybe, just maybe, to see someone who gives a damn about him."   
Daniel found out a lot of things about Max in the months he was here, silently watching. He knew it'd be useful. 

"You're wrong. He is my son. Adoption is a thing, even if it took years too long." David frowned, but nonetheless, he took a stance, seeing how Max had quietly been moving away from Daniel, so silent and scared. He made note to not let him out of his sight any time soon. 

"Max look away please." Though he liked to rebel, the child listened, Max covering his head as well as covering his ears, no doubt remembering unpleasant things from his parents home. "I will not let you make an orphan of my son" David said, aiming his gun head on Daniel, and not hesitating to shoot.

The body fell limply onto the ground, unprepared and not willing to believe that David would actually shoot. 

"Cmon Max, let's get outta here" David said quietly, coaxing Max out of his sweater, but also making sure he couldn't see the body. Red staining white, the dirty ground, David just wanted to get Max out. "Let's go back." Max nodded quietly, gripping David's vest in a small hand. So much for one day, and not even half way back to camp Max was fast asleep in his father's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was gonna be a much later chapter, probably around 9-10 since Max would be around canon age but too bad a few rotten apples ruined the bunch.


	3. The Parents' Love That's Not Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for season 2 episode 12
> 
> Max's not so secret is revealed, and he reflects on how he was right. He really isn't happy about it truth be told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No telling how often this will be updated tbh. I have a job and school and a musical I'm auditioning for. So many things. Here's more angst to tide you over.

Max collapsed, tucking his knees to his chest as he tried to regulate his breathing, feeling the hitches in his breath and the way his eyes were filling with tears. He didn't want this. He really didn't want any of this. He tried to tell them, both Gwen and David. He told them that his parents couldn't care less about him. He told them that summer camp was a place that kids were sent so that parents wouldn't have to deal with them for three months.

No wait. Just his parents. Cause at least everyone else's parents bothered to show up, or in Space Kids case his uncle. Family at least showed. What did Max have? An overly chirpy bean stalk and Gwen to pretend to be his parents. And that wasn't even what they chose to do. That was all Campbell. It looked like Gwen would've been more than happy dead than pretending to act as his mother, not much different from his actual mother.

David on the other hand, confused him. He was so happy to act as his father, hugging him and reprimanding him when he acted up. Max was mostly just surprised David only yelled at him at the end. It was so similar to his actual Father, someone who was tall and intimidating, exerting his dominance in every situation, especially with his defiant son. Made sure Max knew he wasn't like his brother, someone they wanted. No Max was a mistake that was noticed too late. His father made sure Max knew this by heart, and his mother really didn't mind. She only doted on his brother Sam.

Sam did protest as much as he could to Max being sent away, but by the time he started was too late. Max had been going to Camp Campbell for 4 years, 5-9, when Sam finally asked why. Max had known for years, and slowly started to get his parents didn't care, and most certainly just wanted to forget they had him for a few months.

That's what hurt the most. Not even necessarily for him. Max knew his parents weren't coming after the second year, but David always insisted they would this year. And it hurt. It hurt letting Davids sunny personality make him get his hopes up, make Max look at every sound, for once not from paranoia, but in hope of seeing his parents at least pretend to care.

Max scrubbed his face, trying to muffle his sobs as he curled up. He didn't want to be here. Didn't want to be on stage about to pretend to be happy and pretend like his parents cared enough to give him an activity, pretend he was good enough at something for that.

Max jumped when he felt a hand fall onto his shoulder, scrubbing his face before looking up, eyes shining with tears he was trying to suppress. Sobs that escaped his small body that really shouldn't have learnt to do such a thing.

Davids eyes were soft, looking apologetic and regretful.

"Is it okay if I pick you up?" David's voice wasn't happy, one of the few times it wasn't. It wasn't from disappointment or because of Max's mischief and misbehaviour though. It was an offer. To get away from what Max didn't want to happen. It was a choice. Max could say no or yes, and he didn't feel the pressure to choose one or the other and have the other person mad or disappointed.

"Okay" Max said, his voice small. David carefully picked him up, and Max saw Gwen looking similar, though now he saw that they both looked rather guilty. Max couldn't understand with how overwhelmed he felt.

"Let's go get pizza" Gwen grinned, trying to bring up the atmosphere.

"But-" Max started, quickly quietening when David started walking.

"That sounds like a dandy idea" David said, making Max wonder why. He thought David was addicted to making Campbell happy.

"Do you mind that Max?" David asked, looking down at the small boy, and continuing to the car when he saw a nod.

Maybe his pretend parents weren't that bad. And maybe they didn't care like his actual parents, but maybe pretending they did care for a while was okay.

Not like Max expected anyone to love him.


	4. Totally Legitament Uses of Saunas

Max walked down the hall of the sauna, breathing heavily from the sprint he just did. It was to prove a point, he tried to reassure himself, he had to show David that he was an oblivious asshole. Max had to ignore the childish fear in him, the unknown quite known while the process a mystery. He didn’t know what it took to change his friends and the other campers’ personalities. He figured it be pretty fucking painful and he hoped it wouldn’t bleach his clothes. 

Max wasn’t sure how long he walked for, it felt like forever but time didn’t seem to want to pass. He had no phone or watch to check. Just a gut feeling telling him that time wouldn’t work in here. 

The ten year old found a large empty room, spacious and it made him think of pool showers except without the shower heads. He walked into the room, the tip-tapping of his shoes echoing throughout the room, loud and clear. Max clenched his fists to keep the shaking invisible. No one could see him yet he never felt more watched. More judged. 

The room was slowly growing to be stifling hot, beads of sweat running down his forehead as his breath became faster. Max looked around, not being able to see the exit and panic set in. He called for David, maybe even Gwen. Someone who could maybe save him. 

Suddenly, static seemed to fill his head. He felt lighter, freedom within his reach. He walked towards the bright feeling, the usual bitterness and anger not coursing through him. 

Max smiled. “I love you Daniel!”


	5. Storms Are Scary- a return of Baby Max

A clap of thunder caused Max to jump and hide more underneath his covers, the small boy holding Mr. Honey Nuts even closer in an act of comfort. Max never liked being alone during storms, they were quite scary. When he was home he would stay with the family cat since she was fiercely loyal to Max and loved him, but here at Camp Campbell he was by himself. 

Or at least somewhat. There was David, who was snoring in the bed across the room from Max, but it was such a far ways away that Max worried something would get him before he got across the inky blackness of the night. 

A huge roar of thunder made Max’s mind up though, a flash of lightning illuminating the room long enough for Max to dash to David’s bed. The five year old held tightly onto Mr Honey Nuts, a small hand reaching up and tugging on the blanket, hoping to wake David up. He was quite a small boy so he was unable to properly climb onto the bed by himself, something he despised at home. There were many things he needed that were too high and his parents did not care one bit. 

“David? David wake up” Max whispered, the sound of rain against the cabin nearly drowning out his voice. He couldn’t bring himself to be louder though. “David wake up!” 

Thankfully, David had a Max Sense and slowly woke, clutching his log of the year and looked around for what had woken him. He yawned and looked around, noting the storm, before finally seeing the tiny child looking up at him with wide green eyes. David was in fact startled by Max, since he was still not used to rooming with someone who was not Jasper. For a second he wondered why Max was awake and watching him sleep before another clap of thunder resounded throughout the camp and the flash of lightning brought Max’s terrified features to light. 

“Oh. Don’t want to be alone?” David asked, not unkindly but also he was still half asleep. As much of a morning person he was, that was quite different from being woken by a scare child. 

“Mr. Honey Nuts is scared too and it’s really loud out.” Max said, still in a quiet voice. David smiled tiredly before lifting the covers up.

“Wanna have a mini sleepover then?” Max quickly climbed into bed with David, hugging his bear close as he was tucked in. “There we go.”

David sighed and started to try and sleep again, before noticing that Max still wasn’t asleep. He opened one eye, seeing how Max was stiff and still looking uncomfortable. The camp councillor wasn’t sure what he could do to help, before a very easy solution came to mind. 

“Do you want a hug Max? I know storms can get pretty scary and it’s alright to want comfort.” David told Max, the young one nodding a bit before smushing up to David’s side, his small hands clinging to David now. 

It felt like only seconds before Max was asleep, still clinging to David. 

“Goodnight Max” David smiled and held the boy, sweet dreams following.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s supposed to be a storm where I live and I thought of how people get scared so I wrote Max being scared and David comforting him. And if I have anyone asking if it’s Maxvid I will personally go into your home and steal your teeth.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hey hey. If you ship Maxvid. Don't interact with this story. I do not want you here.  
>  
> 
> Any questions?  
> Tumblr is coffeeeghost  
> My friend mysonsareprecious helped edit


End file.
